Anyone have any suggestions on how to properly use a skin fold caliper on someone with a gut. The problem I have is that all the directions I've found talk about grabbing the skin a 1" above the hip, which seems fine if you're rather healthy, but for me that's right where my gut starts to fold over *sigh*; It's not at all flat like the diagrams. I don't know if I should just grab the part that's folding over, take a big handful; just pinching the top seems wrong as I then have a big thing of fat not being measured.

Obviously since I have a gut to begin with I don't need the measurement to know that I need to loose weight, but I'm interested in trying to gauge the amount of muscle gain during the next six months. I've thought about just skipping the gut area since it's not that easy to measure, but since that's where most of my fat lies I'd like to consider it.

Depends on your quality of caliper. Unless you have some proper anthropometric calipers I wouldn't attempt it. Depending on the amount of body fat I would start using a waist circumference measurement. You will get an indication of fat loss and when you get down around say a 20mm measurement at that site you could use your caliper. But get someone else to do the measurement, doing it yourself aint too accurate. Unfortunately your average gym instructor knows diddly about proper measurements. Anyway restricted profiles (9 sites) are pretty much a waste of time for the avg gym goer they really only have a benefit in health, elite sports, somatotyping and sport identification programs.

I'm not exactly well read on the subject. I've got Precision Nutrition and that comes with calipers and a measuring chapter. It is a measuring 9 sites. it does state that it's not 100% accurate, and give you tips on how to make it as accurate as possible. In my opinion, following the PN advice, it's far more accurate at gauging body fat level than any other inexpensive option.

PN strongly recommends a measuring partner. In fact, you couldn't even get the 9 sites your self. It also strongly recommends you use the same measuring partner for all future measurements, due to the discrepancies that can be experienced from person to person.

In terms of actually taking the measurement, I can't remember specifically but will come back to you when i've got it in front of me. It basically just tells you to pinch the skin with one hand and get the caliper on with the next. It's very specific about where you take the measurements from as well. Thats about all I can remember but will revert back...

In larger people I always like to use a measurement in inches or cm in diameter (around waist, arms ect.) instead of the calipers. If you really want to determine body fat use a different method i.e. bioelectrical impedance (it looks like a scale, but it sends an electrical signal through your body), or underwater weighing if you can get to the facility

Whatever you do don't rely on the BMI or height weight charts for your self image...they are out dated (ht/wt chart) and in-accurate (BMI doesn't take fat mass)

Just use these methods to establish your baseline...then believe in yourself and your workout and you will be using those calipers in no time.

P.S. it takes quite a bit of practice to get good with them (calipers) our professor told us about 50 different clients to get accurate

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